by SAVIOUS KWINIKA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) — ZIMBABWEANS in the diaspora have strongly condemned what they describe as a dangerous and unconstitutional campaign by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s allies to extend his rule beyond 2028, warning that such a move would plunge the country deeper into political and economic crisis.
At a meeting in Rosebank, Johannesburg, this week, political activists, economists, and human rights defenders vowed to resist any attempt to amend Zimbabwe’s Constitution to allow Mnangagwa to stay in power after completing his two-term limit.
The gathering was part of growing regional mobilisation against what activists have branded “Agenda 2030” — a push by a faction within the ruling ZANU-PF to keep Mnangagwa in office indefinitely.
Zimbabwe Communist Party (ZCP) secretary-general Nqabutho Mabhena, said the attempt to prolong Mnangagwa’s rule “reflects the desperation of a small elite that has captured the state and fears losing control over its privileges.”
“This is not about leadership or ideology — it’s about class interests,” said Mabhena. “The ruling elite has benefited immensely from corruption and state patronage, and now it wants to bend the law to protect those gains.”
Mnangagwa, who came to power in 2017 after the ouster of Robert Mugabe, was re-elected in the disputed 2023 general election.
His second and final term is set to end in 2028 under Zimbabwe’s 2013 Constitution, which restored a strict two-term presidential limit to prevent lifetime presidencies that had characterised Mugabe’s era.
However, in recent months, several senior ZANU-PF officials have floated the idea of “retaining Mnangagwa beyond 2028 for continuity,” sparking outrage among civil society groups and the opposition.
Critics see this as the early groundwork for a constitutional amendment similar to those enacted by authoritarian leaders elsewhere in Africa to extend their rule — from Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni to Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and Cameroon’s Paul Biya.
Constitutional experts have warned that dismantling term limits would erode Zimbabwe’s already fragile democracy.
“The two-term limit is the last remaining guardrail of accountability,” said Harare-based lawyer and governance analyst Linda Chinamasa.
“Once it’s removed, the state effectively becomes a personal estate of the ruling elite. It sets a precedent that the Constitution is negotiable — and that’s the beginning of tyranny.”
Mabhena argued that extending Mnangagwa’s rule would “confirm what many already know — that in Zimbabwe, the law serves the powerful.”
He warned that the consequences would be devastating: increased repression, investor flight, and further international isolation.
“If the Constitution can be rewritten to suit one man, no citizen’s rights are safe,” Mabhena told CAJ News Africa.
“It would send a dangerous message that leadership can be inherited or prolonged at will, while the people’s will is ignored.”
The diaspora activists stressed that the fight against “Agenda 2030” must go beyond social media outrage and manifest in grassroots mobilisation.
“We need to educate our communities about their rights and organise to defend them collectively,” said Mabhena. “The right to choose leadership is not a privilege; it is a hard-won gain that must be protected.”
Zimbabwe’s diaspora — estimated at over five million people — has played an increasingly influential role in shaping discourse around governance and democracy.
Many were forced to migrate by economic collapse, political repression, and human rights abuses under ZANU-PF rule.
“The diaspora understands the cost of misrule firsthand — we live it every day,” Mabhena said. “Our role is to raise awareness, coordinate international pressure, and mobilise resources to resist any attempt to undermine constitutional order.”
Analysts warn that if Mnangagwa’s allies persist, Zimbabwe could face renewed political instability and tougher international sanctions.
The African Union (AU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) are also likely to come under pressure to take a firmer stance on constitutional term limits — a key principle in the AU Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.
“Extending term limits is not simply a legal adjustment — it’s a political strategy to preserve a failing system,” Mabhena added.
“Every delay in leadership renewal deepens Zimbabwe’s crisis. The Constitution is not just a piece of paper; it is the people’s shield against abuse of power.”
As Zimbabwe edges closer to 2028, the battle lines are being drawn between a ruling elite determined to retain control and citizens — at home and abroad — who insist that the country’s future cannot be held hostage to one man’s ambition.
– CAJ News